Web er Complete Songs for Voice and Guitar

Patrizia Cigna soprano Adriano Sebastiani guitar Carl Maria von Weber 1786-1826 Carl Maria von Weber Complete Songs for Voice and Guitar Complete Songs for Voice and Guitar Composer, pianist, guitarist and conductor, Carl Maria von Weber (Eutin, Holstein 1786 – London 1826) is justly considered the founder of German Romantic opera, in radical 5 Songs Op.13 Various Songs opposition to what was then the prevailing Italian tradition of Melodramma, or dramatic 1. I. Die Schäferstunde 14. Mayenblümlein, so schön Op.23 opera. Clearly influenced by Gluck’s Reform and Hoffmann’s style, Weber’s creativity J.91 (1810) 2’46 No.3 J.117 (1811) 2’23 revolved around the concept of heroic opera typical of the German Singspiel. 2. II. Wiegenlied J.96 (1810) 2’28 15. Bach, Echo und Kuβ Weber studied with Michael Haydn and also under Abbé Vogler, who helped him 3. III. Liebeszauber J.52 (1807) 4’12 (Ein Mädchen ging) obtain the post as Kappelmeister in Breslau in 1804. Two years later he took up the 4. IV. An den Mond J.72 (1809) 1’50 Op.71 No.2 J.243 (1818) 4’35 position of secretary to Duke Eugen von Württemberg in Karlsruhe, where he was 5. V. Die Zeit J.97 (1810) 2’08 16. Des Künstlers Abshied Op.71 then appointed musical director. In 1807 he moved to Stuttgart to work for the Duke’s No.6 J.105 (1810) 3’17 brothers, initially as secretary to Ludwig von Württemberg and later to the despotic 5 German Songs Op.25 17. Leise weht es J.223 (1818) 2’11 and corrupt Friedrich von Württemberg. During this period he was beset with problems 6. I. Liebe-Glühen J.140 (1812) 3’50 18. Sagt, woher stammt Liebeslust regarding accusations of embezzlement, but despite this he also managed to focus his 7. II. Über die Berge mit J.280 (1821) 5’54 attention on concert performances and composition. He wrote works for solo piano, Ungestüm J.110 (1811) 2’05 19. Serenade J.65 (1809) 1’21 piano four-hands, chamber music, 16 concerto arias for the soprano Gretchen Lang, 8. III. Lass mich schlummern 20. Romanze, “Ein König einst with whom he had a relationship, and the operas Silvana and Abu Hassan, respectively J.112 (1811) 1’16 gefangen sass” J.195 (1816) 3’19 performed in 1810 and 1811. Following several years of toing and froing between Mannheim, Heidelberg and 9. IV. Betterlied J.137 (1812) 2’22 21. Rase, Sturmwind, blase Darmstadt, during which time he also regularly gave concerts as a pianist, in 1813 he 10. V. Umringt von mutherfüllten J.111 (1811) 1’24 become director of the Opera House in Prague. Three years later he moved to Dresden Heere J.113 (1811) 4’15 to take up the job of Musical Director, which involved him in a great deal of conducting, including a production of Beethoven’s Fidelio in 1814. During this period he also did his 3 Songs Op.29 best to provide German opera with new stimuli by putting on performances of French 11. I. Ah, dove siete J.108 (1811) 2’26 Patrizia Cigna soprano romantic operas. On 13 May 1820 he finished what was essentially a manifesto of the 12. II. Ninfe se liete J.124 (1811) 2’29 Adriano Sebastiani guitar German romantic spirit: Der Freischutz, his masterpiece, which was premiered at the 13. III. Ch’io mai vi possa Konzerthaus in Berlin on 18 June 1821. J.120 (1811) 2’22 With the participation of: Weber ultimately married the singer Caroline Brandt, and that same year his first son Paola Cigna soprano, Lucia Paffi (and future biographer) Max was born, followed in 1825 by Alexander. Meanwhile, soprano, Cristina Bonaca soprano, his fame swelled and spread considerably with the premiere production in 1824 of his Dennis ChorHang Lau tenor, Paolo opera Euryanthe in Vienna. Alas, international recognition also coincided with serious Leonardi baritone health problems arising from consumption, though this did not stop him accepting a Weber dedicated the Three Canzonettas Op.29 to Caroline Friederike Wilhelmine commission that same year from Charles Kemble, director of Covent Garden Opera of Baden, to whom he presented them in person on 26 November 1811. They were House in London, to write a new opera. Despite his increasing illness, Weber set to published in Prague in 1814 by Haas5, and later reprinted by Hofmeister in Leipzig. work, composing Oberon, which he himself conducted on 12 April 1826, just two Intended for either a piano or a guitar accompaniment, the songs were originally in months before his death. Italian, and were later translated into German by Adolf Wagner. The great love that Carl Maria von Weber nurtured for the guitar comes clearly to In a diary entry for June 1811, the composer mentioned the recently finished Lied the fore in his correspondence, his diary and his oeuvre.1 Moreover, he was in contact Mayenblümelein (J.117), declaring that he had envisaged solely a guitar accompaniment. with exponents of guitar music such as Mauro Giuliani (1782-1829), Karl Keller (1784- In the first printed edition published by Schlesinger, however, the same song also appears 1855), Carl Blum (1780-1844), Josef Seliner (1787-1843) and Ludwig Berger (1774- with a piano accompaniment. 1828), to whom he dedicated the Sechs Lieder Op.15. At social gatherings he would The song Ein Mädchen ging (Bach, Echo und Kuss) (J.243) belongs to Friedrich Kind’s often sing these songs to great effect, accompanying himself on the guitar. He also used second one-act play, Der Abend am Waldbrunnen, and was written by Weber on 30 July two guitars for staged performances of A. Moreto’s Lustspiel Donna Diana, composed 1818. The text of the poem was printed in the “Dresdner Abend Zeitung”, while the the Divertimento for guitar and piano (J.207), and included the guitar in operas and Lied itself appeared as No.2 in the Op.71 collection published later by Adolph Martin other works for the stage, emphasising the natural timbre and colour of the instrument Schlesinger in Berlin. so that they fully suited the characters typical of literary romanticism. For example, in Des Künstlers Abschied (J.105) featured as No.3 in the Op.71 collection, although his opera Abu Hassan (J.106) two guitars are required for the second aria, a serenade to it was conceived as a song with guitar accompaniment several years earlier, in 1810, as the protagonist’s wife Fatima in which he sings his praise for the joys of life.2 Likewise, another diary entry clearly reveals. the choice of a guitar to accompany Reiza’s aria in Oberon (J.306) eloquently suggests Weber composed the romance Leise weht es (J.223) in 1818 as part of the music to the chivalry of Huon, who frees Reiza from imprisonment in a harem. accompany the staging of Kind’s Das Nachtlager in Granada. It was Kind who then Published for the first time by Gombart in Augsburg in 1811, theLieder Op.13 were wrote the libretto for Der Freischütz, which was premiered in Berlin on 18 June 1821. composed between 1807 and 1810, and dedicated to the composer’s friend August The Lied Sagt, woher stammt Liebeslust (J.280) was composed by Weber on 10 Hoffmann.3 A letter addressed to Gottfried Weber of 30 April 1811 reveals that the January 1821 for a production of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice in a translation by composer originally intended to write 6 Lieder for voice and guitar, though he ultimately August Wilhelm Schlegel. The play was staged in Dresden and this song was included only sent his publisher five, along with a three-voice canon. in the second scene of the third act. It is a distinctly polyphonic composition, calling for The Lieder Op.25 were first published in 1812 by Gröbenschütz and Seiler in Berlin.4 two sopranos, a three-voice female choir, and a guitar accompaniment. Along with the Lied Rase strumwind, blase (J.111), the second, third and fifth songs The serenade Horch leise, horch geliebte is a setting of a poem by Jens Baggesan were composed for August von Kotzebue’s one-act play Der arme Minnesänger (The that was composed for voice and guitar in Stuttgart on 22 February 1809. It was first Poor Minstrel) in Munich on 8 May 1811 at the behest of the court music director published on 8 January 1810 as a supplement to the seventh issue of “Morgenblatt für Ferdinand Fränzl (1770-1833). The work was staged a month later, on 9 June 1811, also gebildete Stände”, but with a piano accompaniment. The guitar version appeared later in Munich. The other two songs are arrangements Weber himself made of Lieder with that year in reprints by André and Simrock. piano accompaniment. Towards the end of August 1816, at the end of his stay in Prague, Weber composed the Romance Ein König einst gefangen sass (J.195) as stage music for Ignaz Franz on the psyche. Many of the Lieder with guitar involve stanzas whose intrinsic simplicity Castelli’s play Diana von Poitiers. The work first appeared on 9 February 1822 as calls for great depth of interpretation. Only thus can their exquisite elegance come fully a supplement to the magazine “Der Freimühtige”, and was later republished by to the fore. Schlesinger in Berlin. In conclusion, Weber’s importance as a composer of Lieder is further testified by the Most of Weber’s songs with guitar accompaniment were written between 1809 and four songs Die Temperamente beim Verluste der Geliebten (JV 200-300), which express 1812, during the years in which he was studying under Abbé Vogler, a period that was different states of mind following the loss of his loved one. Along with Beethoven’s An particularly important for his musical education. The absolute predilection that he die ferne Geliebte, the cycle is truly the first of its kind in the history of romantic Lieder. showed for the guitar between 15 April 1810 and 21 November 1811 owes much to the The great poet Wilhelm Müller (1794-1827) described Carl Maria von Weber as “the fact that he was spending a lot of time with two composers who were particularly fond Master of German Lied” – and rightly so. of the instrument. Johann Gansbacher (1778-1844) and Gottfried Weber (1779-1839) © Adriano Sebastiani also wrote Lieder for the guitar, and this must have influenced their younger colleague. Translation by Kate Singleton Although Weber’s works for voice and piano outweigh in quantity his vocal production involving the guitar, the latter unquestionably constitutes a genre in which he excelled. Indeed, his compositions for voice and guitar, which altogether number around seventy items, deserve a place of their own within the overall context of Lieder for the guitar. The composer himself declared that “the creation of a new form must derive from the poetry that is being set to music. In my Lieder I have always done my utmost to 1. See Oliver Huck, “Carl Maria von Weber e la Chitarra”, Il Fronimo ns. 90, 91 and 93, January, April and October 1995. make sure the text could be sung with the greatest possible clarity and accuracy, so as to 2. Interestingly enough, the two guitarists involved in the performance of this opera broadcast on give form to new melodic structures”. In other words, in Weber’s view, it was essential BBC Radio 3 on 25 March 1949 were Julian Bream and Desmond Duprè, no less. that the poem itself could be clearly heard by listeners, and that the melodic structure 3. Fünf Gesänge mit Begleitung der Guitare und ein Canon zu drei Stimmen componiert und ??? should be rooted in the text. Folk music was another element of great importance in seinem Freund Herrn August Hoffmann ... gewidmet von Carl Maria von Weber, Opus 13, forging Weber’s style. As John Warrack has pointed out6, the discovery of Armin and Augsburg, in der Gombartschen Musikhandlung (Five Songs with Guitar accompaniment and a Brentano’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn was to reveal to him in all its strength the value of three-voice Canon composed and dedicated to his friend August Hoffmann by Carl Maria von Weber, Op. 13, Augsburg, Gombart). folk melodies. A further interesting aspect is the way Weber tended to set works by little- 4. Fünf Deutsche Lieder mit Begleitung der Guitare oder Fortepiano in Musik gesetzt von Carl known poets to music, a choice that probably left him greater freedom of action. Maria von Weber, Op. 25, Berlin, bei Gröbenschütz und Seiler (Five German Songs with To provide and ideal support for the voice, n these compositions Weber largely focuses Guitar or Fortepiano accompaniment set to music by Carl Maria von Weber, Op. 25, Berlin, by on the timbre and harmony of the guitar, with a predilection for whole chords and Gröbenschütz and Seiler). arpeggios, and the odd touch of bravura, such as in Canzonetta Op.29 No.2. Clearly 5. III Canzonetti per una voce di Soprano coll’accompagnamento di Pianoforte ove di Chitarra composti e dedicati a sua Maestà Carolina Regina di Baviera dal suo umilissimo e devotissimo it is not his aim to draw specific attention to the accompanying instrument, and in this servitore Carlo Maria di Weber, Opera 29, Praga presso Haas. he differs from Schubert and Schumann. Instead he strives to interact with the poem, 6. John Warrack, Hugh Macdonald, Karl Heinz Köler, Early Romantic Masters 2: Weber, Berlioz, describing the feelings involved by means of the melodic line and its expressive impact Mendelsson, Macmillan, 1985. Patrizia Cigna studied with J. She has made many recordings of rare operas, chamber and sacred music for labels Meneguzzer, graduated at the such as Bongiovanni, Movimento Classical, Tactus, Amadeus, Rai, ORF1, Naxos, Cherubini Conservatoire of Dynamic, and Decca. Florence with the highest grade She has collaborated with many internationally acclaimed conductors, including D. cum laude and “honorable Gatti, G. Bertini, Lü Jia, V. Jurowsky, T. Koopman, D. Fasolis, A. Zedda, P. Bellugi, P. mention” with M.G. Germani. Olmi, F.M. Sardelli, M. Stefanelli, S. Montanari, R. Zarpellon, M. Beltrami, U. Benedetti Winner of many International Michelangeli, X. Zho¯ng, D. Oren, Z. Mehta and with directors such as I. Judge, I. competitions such as Tito Schipa Brook, R. Canessa, P. Panizza, A. De Rosa, I. Stefanutti, R. Bonajuto, D. Krief, F. (Lecce) ‘94, William Walton Micheli, M. Placido, P.L. Pizzi. and Rocca delle Macìe ‘95, she Her busy schedule as a soloist in both the baroque and the lieder repertoire has debuted in 1993 at the Teatro included performances at the Barattelli Society of l’Aquila, the Teatro Comunale in Verdi of Pisa in the opera “The Modena, Teatro Gentile da Fabriano for “ Gioventù Musicale”, Academy of Bologna, Little Sweep” of Britten. Stresa Festival, International Festival “Musica negli Horti” at San Quirico d’Orcia, Since then she has interpreted “Musica Rara” in Milan, “Amici della Musica” in Perugia and Florence, Association many main roles in operas such Mozart Italy in Milan, Festival du Lied Fribourg (Switzerland), Salzburg, Spring Die Zauberflöte, Così fan tutte, Festival and Sala Verdi of Budapest, as well as concert tours in Brazil, Buenos Aires (Sal Le Nozze di Figaro, La Clemenza Usina de l’Arte) in South Africa at the prestigious “International Mozart Festival” in di Tito, Idomeneo, Lucia di Johannesburg, ERT Theatre in Sasolburg, Brooklyn Theatre in Pretoria. Lammermoor, Don Pasquale, In September 2015 in Geneva she was awarded the prestigious title of Dame of Merit Elisir d’amore, La Bohème, Il of the Dynastic Orders of Savoy. Campiello, Rigoletto, Ariadne Since December 2015 she taught singing at the Gesualdo da Venosa Conservatoire in auf Naxos, Un ballo in maschera, Potenza. La Locandiera, Carmen, Barbiere di Siviglia, Tancredi, Traviata, Puritani in theatres such as Verdi of Trieste, Malibran of Venice, Comunale of Bologna , Opera of Florence, Comunale Ferrara, Valli of Reggio Emilia, Torre del Lago Festival, Verona Arena Festival, Ravello Festival, Regio of Torino, Piccinni of Bari for Petruzzelli Season, Maribor Theater (Slovenia), Festival Avenches (Switzerland), Reisopera (Holland), Wexford Festival Opera (Ireland), Kaunas Theater (Lithuania), Seoul Arts Center (Korea), Izmir (Turkey), São Paulo (Brazil). Active as a performer, musicologist, Fornaciari, Antonello Farulli, Dimitri Illarionov and the Boccherini Ensemble. His recording artist and teacher, Italian wide-ranging and varied repertoire includes original music for guitar of different periods classical guitarist Adriano Sebastiani is and styles, the unique compositions of Ralph Towner, works for guitar and orchestra, recognised as one of the most important lute music and many other chamber music works. Since 1975 Sebastiani has devoted Italian and International experts in himself to the study and collection of rare bibliographic and musical sources concerning guitar recordings, history, literature and the history of the guitar and its repertoire. As a musicologist he continues to collaborate chamber music. He studied the Art of the with the most important international guitar magazines, including Guitar Review Guitar in Italy: in Florence with Alvaro (New York), Il Fronimo and Seicorde (Milan), Soundboard (California) and Guitart Company (pupil of Andrés Segovia) and (Naples), rediscovering and publishing several important works for and with guitar in Rome with Bruno Battisti D’Amario, for the following publishers: Suvini Zerboni of Milan, Berben of Ancona, Philomele of obtaining his Masters degree in Guitar Geneva, and Tuscany Publications of Tampa (U.S.A.). He has also edited the catalogue Performance at the San Pietro a Majella of Paganini’s compositions for the book Nicolò Paganini, Il Cavaliere Filarmonico by Conservatoire in Naples – the oldest Edward D.R. Neill. His most recent publication is the co-authored book Andrés Segovia music Academy in Italy. At the same e il suo repertorio, published by Grafos of Genoa. time he completed his broader education, Sebastiani is the first guitarist in the world to have recorded the complete works obtaining a second Masters degree in for violin, viola, mandolin and guitar, and the complete trios for strings and guitar by Agricultural Science at the University of Paganini, a collection of songs for voice and guitar by Schubert, the complete works for Florence. Recently he obtained his third voice and guitar by Giuliani, and a selection of songs for voice and guitar by Carulli. Masters Degree in Musical Pedagogy Among his latest albums are solo guitar music by Dušan Bogdanovic´, Ralph Towner at the Luigi Cherubini Conservatoire in and Paganini. Bogdanovic´ and Towner, as well as composers Oliviero Lacagnina, Florence. Stefano Casarini, John Hall, Joan Yakkey, Anthony Sidney and Riccardo Riccardi, He later attended guitar masterclasses have all dedicated new works to him. Recently signed up with Brilliant Classics, he held by acclaimed artists of the has released three recordings respectively devoted to the complete Songs for voice and lute and guitar world, such as Leo guitar of Louis Spohr (94274), to the Italian Ariettas by Gioachino Rossini (94628) Brouwer, Sérgio and Odair Assad, Dušan Bogdanovic, Ralph Towner, Oscar Roberto and to the Songs by John Dowland (94480). Sebastiani plays guitars by the Sicilian Casares and Hopkinson Smith. As part of a guitar duo he has won four first prizes in luthier Antonino Scandurra, Tuscan luthier Luciano Maggi and American luthier Alan national and international competitions. Sebastiani has performed as a soloist and in Stewart Wilcox. He has taught at the Luigi Boccherini Institute in Lucca and at the Luigi chamber ensembles and with orchestras in Italy, Europe, Russia and the USA, and has Cherubini Conservatoire in Florence. He is head of the Guitar Department at the Liceo collaborated with singers, violinists, string trios and quartets including Patrizia Cigna, Classico Musicale F. Petrarca in Arezzo (Tuscany). Antonia Brown, Silvia Vajente, Siphiwe McKenzie, Stephen Harland, Leonardo De Lisi, Ingolf Turban, Dora Bratchkova, Bin Huang, Franco Mezzena, Fedor Kabelskii, Marco Sung texts available on www.brilliantclassics.com

We would like to express out thanks to the municipality of Castel di Lago and the Sustain association.

Recording: 13, 14 and 15 of May 2017, Chiesa di San Francesco, Castel di Lago (TR), Italy Producer and Sound Engineer: Luca Ricci, StudioMobile Editing: Luca Tironzelli Adriano Sebastiani plays a classical guitar made by Antonino Scandurra in 2013 Revision of the German text: Ulla Casalini Artists photos: Leonardo Casalini (Cigna), Stefano Zanini (Sebastiani) and Paolo Montella (Cigna and Sebastiani) Cover: In der Frühlingswiese, by Ludwig Knaus (1829-1910) p & © 2018 Brilliant Classics